More Signals of Slumping Manufacturing

Trouble in the manufacturing sector has been mounting for months, and several signals this week indicated the pain could continue into the summer.

The latest data Wednesday showed that the manufacturing sector entered the spring on weaker footing even before the Institute for Supply Management’s factory-sector gauge, released Monday, indicated contraction last month.

Apart from the volatile transportation sector, new orders for factory goods fell 0.1% in April, after falling 2.8% in March, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Among the biggest slumps was demand for computers, which dropped more than 9%.
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